Michael Speechley

Michael Speechley (born 29 April 1964) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for Newtown, South Sydney, Cronulla-Sutherland and the Parramatta Eels.

Nicknamed “The Lawnmower” by a commentator in reference to his tackling technique, Speechley played in Newtown's final-ever game in the top grade, which was against Canberra in Round 26, 1983.

After Newtown were removed from the competition at the end of that year, Speechley spent two seasons with South Sydney before signing with Cronulla in 1986.

After playing 120 games for the club, Speechley left Cronulla at the end of the 1992 season and signed with Parramatta.

In 2015, an article by The Daily Telegraph revealed that, at the time of his retirement, Speechley was the last active former Newtown player.